Variable kicker attachment



April 29, 1958 L. D. GASH VARIABLE KICKER ATTACK-WENT Filed Sept. 13. 1955 Leland D. Gash INVENTOR.

2,832,272 VARIABLE KEQKER ATTACHMENT Leland ll). Gash, Miami, Fla. Application September 13, 1955', Serial No. 534 ,t\4 2 Claims. ((31. 93-93) This invention relates to an attachment for use in conjunction with a conveyor or the like, and more particularly to a device which employs a system of dilierent gear ratios for actuating switches to excite electromagnetic means for moving a bar to disturb the normal flow of newspaper from a printing press, stufling machine or other machines producing materials needed to be counted, thereby giving an accurate count or" the material.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for intermittently dislocating or displacing one of a series of units forming the product carried by a conveyor so as to provide successive indications of the number of units carried by the conveyor.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for giving an accurate count and a choice of counts of the material to be counted which is being conveyed on any suitable belt or other type of conveyor.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a variable kicker attachment for use in conjunction with a conveyor of newspapers or the like which is simple in construction, effective in use, and which is easy to install, thereby permitting use and distribution throughout the trade.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this variable kicker attachment, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which the figure is a schematic diagram of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout, reference numeral 10 generally designates a conveyor in the form of an endless belt 12 which may be suitably propelled in any convenient manner. Engaging the belt 12 or driven thereby in any convenient manner, is a shaft 14 having a bevel gear 16 secured thereon. The shaft 14 may have a roller 18 driven by the belt in a positive manner.

The bevel gear 16 drives another bevel gear 20; mounted on a shaft 22 on which pulley 24 is mounted, the pulley 24 having an endless belt 26 mounted thereon which is entrained about a pulley 30 mounted on shaft 32. Also mounted on the shaft 32 are a plurality of worm gears 34, 36 and 38. The worm gears 34, 36 and 38 engage other gears 40, 42 and 44. The gears 40, 42 and 44 have different numbers of teeth, that is, the gear 40 has fifty teeth, while the gear 42 has forty teeth, and the gear 44 has thirty teeth. Mounted on the gears 40, 42 and 44 are contact hands 46, 48 and b which are adapted to engage toggles or contact making and breaking members 52, 54 and 56 of switches 53, 6t and 62. The hands 46, 48 and 50 may extend radially or may extend diametrically with respect to the gears 40, 42 and 44, thus activating the toggles 52, 54 and 56 either every rotation of the respective gears with which the hands are associated, or every half-revolution thereof, as may be desired.

In order to displace intermittent units of the product being delivered on the conveyor 10, such as newspapers or the like, there is provided a pivotally mounted kicker s Patent 0 Patented Apr. 29, 1358 2 bar 64 arranged in any particular manner, such as in overlying relationship with respect to the conveyor 12 and connected by a link 66 to the armature 68 of a solenoid 70, the solenoid and armature thus forming electromagnetic means for actuating the kicker bar 64-. The solenoid 70 is connected to a source of electrical power, as at '72, and to the switches tilt, 6d and 62 selectively through a selector 74.

The selector 74 has a plurality of sets of contacts adapted to, when these contacts are closed, complete an operative electrical circuit between a selected one of the switches 58, 6t) and 62 in series circuit to the solenoid 7d and the power supply 72. Hence, with the selector 74 in the position as is shown in the figure, only the switch 60 will be effective to complete an operative electrical circuit when it is closed by engagement with the hand 43, as shown, thus causing the kicker bar 64 to dislocate a newspaper or other unit on the belt l2 every predetermined amount of travel of the belt 12. Of course, if in lieu of the hand 48, a diametrically extending hand were to be utilized, the switch toggle 54 would have been actuated every half a rotation of the gear 42.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device for enabling the counting of units of a product in combination with a conveyor for the product comprising a kicker bar positioned above said conveyor, electromagnetic means for activating said kicker bar to dislocate selected of the units being counted, drive means for said conveyor, and timing means for selectively exciting said electromagnetic means, said timing means including a plurality of normally open switches, each of said switches when in a closed position connecting said electromagnetic means with a source of electrical power, a plurality of timing gears, hands on said gears engageable with said switches for closing said switches, and means for driving said timing, gears and selector means for selectively connecting one of said switches in series circuit with said source of electrcal power and said electromagnetic means.

2. A device for enabling the counting of units of a product in combination with a conveyor for the product comprising means adjacent said conveyor for periodically dislocating selected of the units being counted, said means including electro-magnetic means operatively energized to effect the dislocation of the selected unit being counted, drive means for the conveyor, timing means for periodically exciting said electro-magnetic means, said timing means including a plurality of normally open switches, each of said switches when in a closed position connecting said electro-magnetic means with a source of electrical power, a plurality of timing gears, hands on said gears engageable with said switches for closing said switches, and means for driving said timing gears, selector means for selectively connecting one of said switches in series circuit with said source of electrical power and said electro-magnetic means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,488,688 Labombarde Apr. 1, 1924 1,841,711 Cannon Ian. 19, 1932 2,710,567 Luther June 14, 1955 

